


I get you

by AmeliaAndreas3



Series: No rest for the victors [7]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Gen, They all deserve better, Victor/mentor bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-10-01 19:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaAndreas3/pseuds/AmeliaAndreas3
Summary: Just out of the arena life can be tough, It helps to know you have someone to talk to that actually knows what they went through, because they went through the same thing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm gonna add another chapter with different victors. But anyway this takes place in the same AU "endless chain" is. Katniss wins alone and (after a six month period of grieving and drinking with Haymitch) she  
starts to act "like a proper victor" and so the quell's theme is different.

**1**

they cut her nails short. 

They cut her nails short because they still had drying blood and goo and the medics couldn't scrub it out. 

She dug her nails into someone's eyes. And that killed him. 

The medics rubbed her clean. No remains of any scars or blood no where to be seen. They healed her wounds. 

They couldn't heal what she saw. Couldn't make it go away. 

_Gunthar will understand. He has to. _

_He has to. _

Since Savannah was now quite clean and not badly hurt, they let her stay in her room to sleep. The stylists gave her a tray of goods and told her that she can eat what she wants, as long as she pukes it afterwards, this was no stranger to her, this was the rule in the academy as well. 

When she had her third piece of cake, Gunthar Richson came in: technically he wasn't _her_ mentor, but they spent quite some time in the past week. 

His presence made her feel better. 

"I saw that last kill. Hardcore If you ask me. Caeser will definitely ask you about it" he said. 

"Did you also feel shaken like this after you won?" Savannah couldn't stop herself from asking. 

"Yes, I did" he sat on the bed. "Isn't that a lot of calories?" he pointed at her plate. 

"I'll just puke it later. I have my methods" Savannah shrugged. 

Gunthar looked horrified. "What do you mean by 'puking it later'? That's- you basically eat all of this for nothing?!" 

"It's not a new rule, Gunthar, all the girls at the academy do that. Keeps you slim and pretty for the cameras" 

He shook his head. "I'm not letting you stay hungry, hell, you just won 'the _hunger_ games' you deserve some treats to eat" 

"Emerald and the stylists don't see it that way" 

"Emerald is a bitter bitch, you'll be a way better mentor then she'll ever be-" he paused. "I mean. If you want to mentor with me.." 

Savannah crawled next to him and gave him a soft kiss. "I'd love that" 

**2**

The medics gave Brutus a pill for his sore muscles and told him to "sleep it off" 

In the academy, if you had a nightmare and got up in the middle of the night, they would tell you to drink a special drink so your sleep will be dreamless. Because they were always watching, even at night. 

If you still had nightmares after that, they would start talking points from your score, which sometimes resulted in being kicked out.

That's what happened to his roomate Sebastian. 

So when he woke up a few hours later because he still saw Helen _getting cut in half, _he had to remind himself that he isn't in the academy any more. 

No, he was what everyone there strived to be: A victor. 

He dragged himself to the fancy ass kitchen and found Lyme- his mentor (Henry took Astera) in there. 

"Good morning- even though it's the afternoom" she smiled. 

"Had a bad dream. You know the recipe for that no-nightmares drink from the academy?" 

Her eyes narrowed. "You mean milk with liquid drinking pills?" 

_Of course_. "Well, you know where can I get a box?" 

Lyme got up, "you don't need the pills. It's okay for fresh victors to have nightmares". Brutus crossed his arms: "even us?" 

Lyme's face darkened: "I still see Joey in my dreams you know, it's been 4 years. Hell, every day when someone calls my name I'm reminded of what I did, and I still changed it, I still want to honor him and his sister" 

"So you're saying I should go back to sleep and let the nightmares be?" 

She flipped her arms. "I'm not saying you should sleep _now, _what do you say we test eachother out in the training center? Nobody's there anymore" 

He yearned for something to keep him awake. "I say: race you there?" 

**3**

when Laurie Kai stumbled out of the hovercraft squeaky clean She asked to see her mentors. 

Wiress and Beetee entered the room, walked by peacekeepers. Wiress went straight to hugging her and Beetee simply smiles. "You did it"

"I won like you did, that's the only thing I could do" 

"And you did well"

Laurie electrocuted five other girls with a simple wire and lightning. That included Kelly, her district partner in this all female quell. 

"But... I killed Kelly as well! I didn't meam to! She stood in the way and I yelled to her-" 

"You did what you could. Don't you think it was hard for me to realize I killed six people without touching them?" 

"I can't go back to three and stand in front of her parents and look them in the eyes and apologize!" 

"It's the hunger games" begun Wiress. "the families knew that she wouldn't come back. Three barely-" "barely makes it in a regular year" finishes Beetee.

Laurie couldn't help but think about Kelly's familly, three got a victor now 

But it wasn't their child. 

**4**

Gemma watched their newest victor- youngest to ever make it out- and swore to herself she would keep him safe from the capitol's ugly nature. 

But she forgot about the damn rule. 

How could she forget? She was the first subject, entertained by the victor who started this stupid tradition: Rowan Sullivan. 

She didn't particularly like Savannah or Gunthar Richson in her twelve years of being assistant mentor to Mags, (who insisted on keeping the job despite being close to seventy) and their daughter struck her as a snob last year. 

But then Gemma gave her a second look and saw the oh so familliar bruises she cleverly tried to hide. 

Gemma didn't stay for the night in the compound. She still had rounds at 30. 

But in the morning she found him in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror, eyes red and he looked tired. 

"Did this rule existed when you won?" he asked quietly. 

Gemma sighed. "I was the first to be a subject in this chain, the second to entertain. The rule doesn't take your age, experience or sexuality into account." 

"Cashmere told me she tried to talk with the president about it. Do you think- do you think Snow forced her to sleep with her twin brother?" 

Gemma looked him straight in the eyes. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did" 

**5**

"I'd told you I'd do it"

Wynonna Jackson stood proudly in front of her mentor after medics left her alone to rest. 

"I didn't doubt you for a second" said Porter Millicent Tripp, the only working mentor district five has produced. 

That was a bold lie and Wynonna knew it. But to be fair, when _did_ the tributes from district five ever got to the final eight in the past eight years?.

Wynonna was pretty okay with killing the other kids in the arena, as long as it wasn't directly. She sent the parachute she got from Porter to other tributes, she filled it with nightlock and sacrificed a precious water bottle filled with too much iodine. 

But Porter didn't look at happy as she did. 

"What you did at the arena was clever, way too clever for the gamemakers. I don't think they'll except it good" 

"It's not like they can do something to me, I'm a victor now."

Wynonna quickly learned that you can kill people without killing them physically. That you can kill their soul, you can make them want to kill themselves. All you gotta do it kill their loved ones. 

So Wynonna drowned herself in morphling and let Porter do the rest of the job. 

**6**

"Adriana, did you ever try Morphling?" Danya stared out of the train- made in her district- as it raced towards home. 

"No" said the older victor. "You can't allow yourself that when you're mentoring solo" 

Danya didn't remember much of Adrianna's actual games. Everyone in Panem simply remembered her as "the woman who changed" because she used to be a boy, and asked her stylists to help her become what she is today. The capitol likes to use her as an example of the good the capitol does for the districts. 

And Danya had a feeling Adrianna hated it. 

"You know, Cecelia Sanchez told me you need to find an escape roote from.the arena. And since morphling is suplied to Six weekly..." 

"That's not an escape roote, that's killing yourself slowly" said Adrianna bitterly. 

"You've never tried" argued Danya. 

"Have you seen Abernathy? Chaff Mitchell? Marianne Rubson? Octavia Preston?! It's not any different" Adrianna's face softened. "And.. I could really use the help of someone as smart as you... I can't do this alone." 

"You're right. I promise- I'll help you" 

One night she woke up from a dream featuring Kay, he slamned her into a tree once, twice..

She took her mother's vile from the kitchen table and injected it. 

_One dose can't hurt. _

**7**

For the first time in 14 years there was a victory party in Seven.

Johanna Mason didn't even remember Blight's party, but obviously it was a happier time. Her parents were still alive at least. 

"You know" said Blight. "I remember you at my party" he pointed towards the farmer's market. "You brought me a basket of cherries with your tiny, tiny hands" 

Well those tiny hands were now the hands of a killer. 

A little girl came up to her. "Congratulations Ms Mason! Because of you I'm not scared from my reaping in two years!" the girl presented her with a gift, a horse carved from wood. "My father made it for me but I really want you to have it. As a thank you gift because now my sister doesn't have to take tessarae. You know, the victory allowance" 

Even the cold, bitter side of her could appreciate the gift. And her father used to carve too. 

"Thank you" Johanna smiled. 

She then called out to Tyler, her little brother, and walked with Blight to the village. Tyler, as old as that girl from earlier, was amazed with every single thing in their new house, she gave him the gift and laughed at the blush on his lips when she mentioned the girl. 

One evening she shared a bottle of beer with Blight on his porch. "How does it feel? To mentor?" 

He sighed. "Get ready for year after year of watching the kids die one by one. Not everyone's as creative and strong as you are" 

The next year Johanna watches a girl getting reaped, and a familliar, smaller girl runs to her crying. Its that little girl's sister. 

Johanna promises to herself to help the girl as much as she can. The girl makes it to day six.

A new record.

And then that's the year everything goes to shit. 

**8**

The first thing Cecelia does when she's home is hug Ramone. And the people cheer. 

She let's him move in with her, she excepts his proposal, she marries him.

He's there to hug her when the nightmares are too much, when Angie Brighton begs her again and again for mercy every night, when the lifeless eyes of five children stare at her in silence, when Ross Lark moves his hands down...down...

He tries to understand but he doesn't... He could never now that they both aged out. 

There's only one sane person in the village that does. 

She finds herself in the early hours of the morning banging on Alec's door. And he always opens. "Tea?" he offers quietly. 

They sit on the porch and watch the sun slowly rise as people get up early for the morning shift. 

"I don't think I can handle this life... The rule, mentoring with you, capitol manners. _Victory tour. Oh god, the victory tour" _

she couldn't stand in twelve, ten, five and the career districts and gloat about her victory like that. 

"I think you could use a hobby, and you're required to have a skill anyway, I'd suggest sewing. To fit the Eight aesthetic" he gave her a sweet smile. 

She chose drawing. She drew the pictures from her nightmares, The arena in dirty greens and browns, The careers sitting in a circle around a fire, all reds and orange. Angie, cutting the dart with one swift slice, with her Storm gray eyes blinded by powder poison... 

And Ramone, she drew Ramone a lot. 

She stayed up nights at a time to finish, it kept her mind busy, her sleep dreamless. 

This was her escape route. 

**9**

"stop drinking, you're not even legal" said a bitter voice as Marianne sat outside on a cold winter day sometimes after her victory tour. 

"I'm eighteen now, I'm legally an adult and you can't tell me what to do, Selena Winnow" 

The Older victor now moved in front of Marianne. And used her walking stick to knock the bottle out of Marianne's hands. 

"Dammit! How did you even know it was there, you're blind!" 

"And you're stupid" Selena replied. 

Marianne had no more strength to argue with Selena, the girl was stubborn as a mule. "Next year, you're coming with me, wether you like it or not" 

Marianne, in fact, didn't like it. But it didn't matter, the kids died in the bloodbath like they usually do, so Marianne sits aside with her beer. 

That summer, when they returned, they both watched (and listened, in Selena's case) to the various machines and people harvest the grain. They will later have the anual festival, and nobody would care that Marianne drinks, because everyone will. 

So that night, Marianne was wasted in the square again. Selena sat next to her in quiet and listened to the music. 

"Could you replace me in mentoring?" she asked

"S'ure S.. I can totally do it... Whatever you ask"

Selena knew it wasn't fair, but if maybe it can help her stay sober. So be it. 

**10**

Rowan Sullivan threw her arms and her daughter dropped into them instinctively. 

"I thought I lost you. I thought I'll never see you again" 

"I knew I could do it" her daughter said. 

When She heard Camilla's name she knew instantly her attention will be focused on her. Although she tried to help young Oscar as best as she could. 

The train rushed towards the green meadows that were the outskirts of Ten, Camilla talked passionately about the night she had with Kara Logan. And the fun they had. She didn't shy away from details.

"Mom, I have a question"

Rowan smiled, "shoot"

"Will I have to make rounds like you?" 

Rowan froze. Sure, the capitol still enjoyed her visits throughout the year, some men and women still found her as attractive at 34 as they did when she was 18. Blessed be capitol ointments. 

But it wouldn't last forever, and Camilla didn't lack her mother's good looks. 

"I don't know" said Rowan carefully. "I'll make sure you won't. I'll make sure you wouldn't have to- no matter what it does to me"

For Six months Camilla watched her mother work around the clock, every month, a weeks "vacation" in the capitol as Camilla slowly healed. 

One day she found her mother in the bathroom, crying. 

No matter how Rowan tried to hide it, Camilla still saw the positive pregnancy test hidden inside the garbage.

_Thats it._

On her victory ball she went to snow personally. She told him she can handle each and every one he'll give her, that the young and unknown is as good as the familliar old.

Rowan got a letter declaring her too old, and Camilla smiled to herself as her letter came.

_Not anymore mother. You're free. _

**11**

It was the summer of the 71st hunger games and the people of Eleven got a two hour release from work to give a final goodbye to their first victor ever. 

Chaff didn't know Ringer well, and Kala never even met him, but they both were there just for Seeder. 

Peacekeeprs slowly started to evacuate the men and women back to the fields and the factories. But didn't touch the three of them. 

The quiet was unnerving for Chaff, it reminded him of the arena, of the day they whipped his father and everyone stood in silence. 

"Everyone's left, Seed, you wanna go too?"

"Not yet" she was past the.middle age, 55, but her eyes, Now closed, and her faced showed almost no sign of ageing. 

"I wanna pay a tribute to the fields of eternity" she started walking past the trees that surrounded the fresh grave, in the land reserved for the victors of eleven, and into the place Chaff avoided for almost thirty years.

In this huge piece of land were baried all the fallen tributes. One-hundred and forty to be exact. 

And counting. 

"Doesn't this place make you sad, Seeder? Most of these are tributes you mentored" said Kala quietly.

Seedar offered them one of those warm smiles that even Chaff, stone cold sober, could feel the tenderness of it. "It's a place of memories, I never forget a tribute's name thanks to it" 

"Why would you want to remember seventy-something names when even the capitol won't?" asked Chaff. 

"That's exactly the point, the capitol won't, and the famillies will eventually too, so I will. For them. And I want you to do it too" 

The next week Chaff returned there alone, he started from Jada, his district partner and counted all the boys that he looked in the eyes and told them there might be hope, all the boys who died with disappointment in their eyes.

All the boys he couldn't save.

Twenty five and counting. 

**12**

"get your shit together, sweetheart"

Katniss sat with Haymitch on the snowy ground, a bottle of white liqour in hand. Haymitch, surprisingly, is sober.

"I didn't get you out for you to become another wasted ass-face like me, I got you out because I needed help"

She scoffed. "You didn't get me out, Peeta and I made it to the final two and he died first, I'll never be as good as him so why bother?" 

Haymitch sighed. "Look, sweetheart, I had my reasons, I mean, I wanna see you do this alone for twenty-two fucking years. And well, Chaff and Marianne are a bad influence. But now I'm not alone, I have you. To help me. And in a freaking quell year. You bet I'd be fucking wasted if I could. But your mother and sister are right. I'm a bad influence as well, help me mentor and We can drink when they both die. Ill even introduce you to Chaff and Marianne, you'd love them" 

Katniss threw the empty bottle at the house that would have been Peeta's if the capitol weren't such pigs. 

There was no point in arguing. And the sad look Prim gives her everytime she drinks is like a punch to the gut.

"Okay Haymitch. Let's make a deal" 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Victor/mentor bonding 
> 
> This ep is more towards the AU where Katniss won alone and the games continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder this takes place in the AU (because some districts don't have enough victors)  
I might do a chapter like this on the Endless chain series with just original victors

**1- 64th year, victor: Cashmere Richson**

The road from the hovercraft landing zone to the main entrance seemed endless, but Cashmere refused to hold onto the medics that offered her their help, choosing to limp all the way instead- her side wound might have been taken care of, but it still hurted like a bitch. 

Lydia's twisted smile flashed before her eyes- followed by a flash of the last time Cashmere saw her- an hour ago- Lydia's bloody face: the hole from the knife Cashmere stabbed her with still visible in her forehead. 

_I think I'm gonna be sick. _

As far as she could see: two figures stepped outside, one female with a darker complexion, and one taller masculine one that was painfully familiar.

Her brother.

_Screw the limp. _Ignoring the pain, Cashmere closed the last few feet between them before she crushed into his arms. She felt herself sinking to her knees with him- refusing to part. 

"I missed you so fucking much" he whispered

"Sorry if I gave you a heart attack with that Lydia" she smirked.

They are together, that's what's important: they will go back to One as legends. All she has to do is go through the victory party/interview and-

Her heart sunk when she remembered what happens on victory night.

_Oh God, I'm gonna have to sleep with him?_

He squeezed her shoulders "Don't worry about tonight okay?" 

**2- 62nd year, victor: Enobaria Dominguez **

"She looks weird" says a female voice she faintly recognized: Lyme. 

"She looks deadly; and that's exactly what the Capitol wants" a male voice replies: Brutus.

Enobaria forced herself to open her eyes, the chandelier at the parlor of district 2's floor on the compound sent an unerving light directly into her eyes. 

"What do you mean?" She asked. And immediately regretted it: for some reason, her mouth was burning.

Lyme sighed. "Go to the bathroom and see for yourself. I don't think you'll like it" 

As always, she did as she was told: the moment she caught her reflection in the mirror she saw what her mentor meant. And she did _Not _like it.

She stormed back into the parlor, Vivianne was already there, Enobaria grabbed a butter knife from the coffee table and threw it, it shrieked past Vivianne -who let out a high pitched scream- and lodged itself into the wooden top cupboard.

"Who's bright idea was that?!" She spat. she felt something sharp poke a hole in her tongue and cursed.

"Hey, come with me, now" Lyme grabbed at her shoulder. They stepped outside into the porch. "It's sick. What they did to me, and without my consent-" 

"I know" 

"I didn't agree to this!" 

"I know you didn't. But you're gonna have to suck it up, there's a reason I picked you to volunteer, we need a new female tribute to take on mentoring"

"What? You picked me so I can be your replacemet?! What about Aria-Mae?" 

"I picked you because your stamina is fantastic and because I knew I'll get you out. And besides, Aria-Mae has her own thing getting sponsers that we need. There's no turning back the clock- can you do this for me and for our district?" 

Enobaria sighed. "Yes. I can" 

Lyme gave her a proud smile: "now let's get you to Miranda so she can dandy you up- we're gonna make Savannah Richson and the rest of district 1 cry!" 

**3- 48th year, victor: Wiress Plummer **

Beetee latier watched Wiress get off the stage after the victory interview with a smile.

"You did good" he said

She frowned. "Couldn't focus. My mind keeps shutting-" a tall escort walking by caught her attention. 

"It's okay, that's just because of the injury, we'll take care of it. I promise"

She looked over to the career mentors possé, they haddled in a circle with drinks and didn't bother to look completed with the loss.

When Wiress sent that bomb into the middle of the career camp and blew almost all of them up, Beetee didn't look away from the screen and didn't have to do that to hear the shocked gasp of the four mentors.

He wondered if that's the way they reacted back when he shocked the pack to death.

"I can't help but feel sorry for all of these kids that my bombs killed" Wiress muttered. "Especially the one that stayed alive to see them like that" 

"They will overcome their grief. They have to in order to keep up mentoring" 

Her eyes shot up to his.

"Is this what mentoring is gonna be like?" 

"I'm really sorry that you have to go through it with me, but I won't lie to you: it is. And it's hard. But I'm glad we're doing it together"

"Chill with the emotions, Latier; I still don't like-" a laugh from Savannah caught her attention back to them

"You're gonna learn to like me. I know you will"

**4- 60th year, victor: Lucas Rivers **

Lucas woke up to see Mags, Calypso and Gemma laughing while cleaning up the breakfast table at the Four compound.

In the training program, everyone called Four's trio of victors "the amazons" after the warrior women. Because like these myths, the three were fierce, calculated and celebrated in the Capitol for their victories that changed the future of female victors: whether it was Gemma and her resemblance to the goddess Artemis, Calypso's strange alliance/sisterhood, or Mags, the legend herself, the first female victor, ever.

How the hell is he gonna fit into that?

"You're up, huh? About time. We already finished eating but we saved you some" said Gemma.

The two older victors pulled up a chair and invited him in.

"Do you wanna talk about last night?" Asked Gemma. 

Lucas gaze shot up. "You know about-?" 

"We all do" said Mags calmly.

"Well to be honest, I felt horrible, she's kinda hot- I mean- she's easy on the eyes, but they obviously put her off that stuff she takes regularly and she's so little! I was so Afraid I would crush her!" He noticed they were staring at him. "It's wrong" he added.

"It's okay if you enjoyed it. Did you?" 

He lowered his eyes. Refusing to look at either of them.

"Look. We got used to being just us female victors. But it doesn't mean you're not gonna be a part of it" Gemma crosses her arms

"you won. We got someone out, it doesn't matter who. We are gonna help you just like we were gonna help Marina. And you're gonna need the help" Mags puts her hand on his cheek and it feels so motherly, so.. natural

So maybe he can fit in just fine..

**5- 50th year, December. **

Porter stood over the fresh grave.

_No one missed him?_

No, the victors' land in Five's field of eternity was quiet, she could only hear Wynonna's light steps besides her. 

"He was that isolated?" Wynonna stopped besides her to read Wendell Iverson's, 21st victor, headstone.

"Yes. He was, I was lucky enough to get Almiya before she died. Why do you think I'm the only mentor every year?" 

"Hey Porter. Can you promise me- that- that you won't let me isolate myself? I'm more than thankful for the rehab sessions you put me through. Just, don't let me end up like him, okay?" 

It wasn't fair, what they both had to endure, and Wynonna is just four years out; just experienced what its like to send two (four, in her case) kids to the slaughter.

"You're not alone, Jackson. Not while I'm around" Porter turned away from Wendell's grave and started the journey back to the village. 

"Next year we'll get a boy out. And if not, we're gonna keep trying" 

**6- 76th year, victor: Julian Maddox**

Adrianna Gowaine looked with caution at the boy on stage. 

She had seen all types of behaviours of her tributes during the interview over the years: The charmers- who brought the most sponsers. the emotionals- who had a fair shot depending on the crowd's enthusiasm that year. The over righteous ones (sigh, Lydia Wright always comes to mind)- who ended in a boom. And the disasters- those who were too shy, or just excepted fate. 

The boy sitting on the victors throne was non of those things. 

Julian Maddox, victor of the 76th games, was an enigma to both the capitol and the Six team.

So when the gate closed behind them on victors village she crossed her arms.

"Either you are an excellent liar, or you have a resting bitch face as your natural expression. The Capitol will fight to crack your deal. You might as well tell me. Don't you think?"

He raised his eyebrows and his calm smirk was still on. "Well. This is a mask after all. My sister told me to never show my true face to those pigs. But they ended up loving it" his smile faded.

Adrianna's face softened. "You don't have to wear a mask around me. Ever. This village, as fake as it looks, even with them watching us. It's a safe space. And will always be. That's why I collect al those ejected from their homes by people who don't expect them. You have my word that I'll learn to respect the real you."

He threw himself on her in a hug.

"But promise me, okay? Promise me you can be stronger than Dorian and Danya. I could really use the help" 

Julian nodded. "You have no idea how strong I am" 

**7- 57th year, victor: Blight Jordan **

Blight watched the little girl toddle away to her mother and couldn't help but smile. 

People from all around the district came to congratulate him, after all, he was their first victor ever since Octavia. It's been 31 years since she won.

The woman in question stood with her back to him, talking to an older woman he recognized as her sister. A bottle of wine in hand. 

_She and Mia had a deal! I won. _

He picked up a rock and threw it. The wine bottle shattered.

She turned around, perplexed "Be careful Jordan. You're lucky I'm in a good mood" 

"I reckon you and Mia had a deal. Either I or Mia win. You cut with the wine. I'm gonna make sure you keep your promises" 

"Fine. I'll play along. What are the terms?" 

"You drink during the spring festival and the victory parties, like _everyone_ _else_ do. But not during the games. If you- we- get ourselves together we can start bringing more victors and you'll have a nice drink everytime we bring a victor." 

"Desl" she landed a hand to shake. 

On Cecelia Sanchez's victory party Octavia raised a questioning eyebrow when he walked to the newly crowned victor and took her arm. 

_I'll be fine. _He mouths when they walk past her. _I just hope she will be. _

Octavia was waiting for him in the 7 compound. With two mugs of coffee. "How was it?" 

"Better than last year, I guess" his voice sounded monotonous. He eyed the cupboard and an avox stared at him in question, waiting for a commend.

"Break out the best wine you can find" 

**8- 78th year, victor: Jacqueline Moore**

The pain was sometimes unbearable.

Losing your first daughter to the games was unbearable, and not fair, the solace in the situation was Primrose Everdeen's victory. She killed the boy who killed her daughter.

And then, In some sick irony, the very next year Cecelia got a victor out. 

It wasn't Jackie's fault, she survived and it's a miracle she did. The 16 year old tried her best to be on Ceceilia's good side for the duration of the prep week. But Cecelia shut her off. Shut everything off.

When Jackie woke up, she woke up to find her mentor in the kitchen, making an omlette. 

"I made the avoxes do something else while I did the cooking" Cecelia didn't look away from the pan. "It gives you a sense of normalcy among all of.. _That " _

"I felt weird with Prim.. awkward" 

"That's okay if you didn't enjoy the action, I had to sleep with a girl too. It's just that _he _doesn't care what you enjoy-" 

"I mean. I did enjoy _Kissing _her. I think. It's just.. she was super quiet and you could see she's not over..you know- uh, last year" Jackie felt like burying herself in her hands. 

Cecelia's face softened. "Look. I got Alec to be out so we can talk. The way I treated you was not right. I was- I am still- hurting because of that, I thought maybe my daughter can be like those mother and daughter from Ten who got the chance to reunite when the daughter won the games" she sat down next to Jackie. 

"but I promise that as of now. You have me for whatever, I won't become like my supposed mentor Elle. Don't be afraid to ask me, to lean on me to cry. I can deal with Cassandra's...fate. alone" 

"You don't have to... I mean, my sister died in the games when I was twelve and an Everdeen won. maybe it's not the same thing but... I can really help you through the pain if you'd like" 

"Yes. I guess we can help eachother" said Cecelia. 

**9- 54th year, victor: Quentin Oberlin **

Marianne was sleep when some jerked her awake. 

Selena.

"What is it" Marianne wasn't even suprised anymore. And worse, she was hungover.

"You're on the mentor's room duty" 

"It's day five, they both must be dead by now aren't they?' 

Selena's excitement was shining on her face. "While you were drinking with Mitchell, Preston and Abernathy- poor guy, he's alone now- our boy Quentin scored himself a kill and some food" 

_on day five? Well someone must be impressive enough._

She stayed in the mentors room for the rest of the games. Watched Quentin take people down with a slingshot and drank when he faced the careers.

When he hit the girl from one with a finishing blow Marianne hugged Selena tightly and shoved a middle finger in Savannah Richson's face. No one saw this coming. Neither did she, but you bet your ass she'll shove it down the other mentors throat. Nine was not a total failure.

But when she look at him charming the crowd during the victory interview she knew this was a fluke, a miracle that probably won't happen again, not as long as she mentors.

Quentin snatches her bottle and takes a swig. "See? This is what happens when you act like a proper mentor, think of what you can do if you just give from yourself to those kids. To us" 

Marianne sighed. "Kid. You're just beginning" 

"Well. With your help I won't be such a beginner" 

"You don't want my help. Ask Selena or Ariadane" 

"But _you're_ my mentor" 

"And as your mentor, my only advice is that you talk to Selena about the games. About What you're feeling and shit. The best I can do for you is give you a bottle and hope you can be stronger than I because I don't want to set you on this shitty path" 

"Why don't you stop then?" Asked Quentin 

"You'll see soon enough"

**10- 84th year, victor: Natalie Landon**

Camilla Sullivan hated the mentors' room.

Until wade arrived, Camilla would make up random excuses to go to the sponsers den with Kara, Augustus and Claude instead of staying in the mentors room with her mom.

When Wade won Camilla was relived.

But on the 84th year her mother got pregnant from her new lover.

It was a pleasant surprise. Especially with Rowan nearing 49, but it happened. And Camilla and Wade were shipped off together to the capitol as mentors.

That year district 10 got a victor.

Camilla didn't even realize how stressful mentoring is, and watching Natalie mimick Rowan's method was risky, but maybe her mother's games are outdated already. Or the boys she seduced and killed were stupid, or both. 

Camilla walked with her around the city after the victory party, the president revoked the rule because of the previous winner being only thirteen now. 

"I can't believe Snow changed the rules for you" Camilla gave her new victor a pat on the shoulder.

"Well, I'm grateful for that, she can't lose her virginity at _twelve, _I don't think she even got her first period!. It was nice of the president to do this" 

Camilla stopped. "Listen, you have to be careful with him. Everything I told you before the interview is still true, _please_ be careful around him. He's not fucking around with anybody" 

"I'll be okay. Don't worry about me" 

When the victory tour ended. Camilla moved away from her mother's victor house and to her own, she couldn't bare the new baby's crying anymore. One night she found Natalie on her porch, tears streaming down her face. 

"I didn't wanna become like you.. so I told him no.. and- he killed them, my sister and twin brothers, my dad, my mom-"

Camilla held her close, tight. "Hey, I'm here. I'm here with you, but the next summer you're coming with me to the capitol to get sponsers, you look him in the eyes and you don't let him know what he did to you, he wants to see you broken, but you can't give him what he wants; okay?" 

Natalie nodded. "Can I maybe.. stay at your place for a while?" 

"Sure" Camilla opened the door wide and invited her in.

Maybe she can get used to mentoring.

**11- 46th year. Mid games. **

on day 3 Chaff saw Seeder walking out of the room and knew it was over for district 11 this year.

He just found himself a good company, Octavia was here for 20 years. She's smart enough to give advice, even drunk. 

Marianne was fun, and brought the best fucking beer. 

"Can I grab you for a second?" The two women shrugged and he followed her to the elevator. 

"Look, If you wanna give me a lecture, do it fast, I'm not gonna listen anyway" 

Seeder's face remained unchanged, if she was bothered by the comment, she didn't show it. 

"I am disappointed in your choice of coping, but I won't judge, as long as you promise me you stay sober for as long as your tribute is alive, do we have a deal?" 

He presented his one hand to shake. "Deal" 

About four days later, he woke up, hungover, and found Seeder at the compound, sitting quietly on a sofa, legs crossed. 

"How can you be so calm and tender during these goddamn games? Does your sweetness mask have an off switch?"

"It is hard to not let the emotions out, but thats not for the cameras to see, I show the kids some optimism to prepare them as best as I could, or maybe to just make them feel a bit better before an inevitable death."

"Optimism is a mask. You can't be from Eleven and be optimistic, we suffer through way too much" he argued. 

"It's just my way of coping. Just like you turn to drink. It feels good to hope for a better future, gives you a better, happy look at the world. Maybe you can mix it into your coping mechanism" 

Her smile made him, even sober, feel much better.

So he takes her advice, tells self targetted jokes while he's drunk, and sober. Octavia smirks when he does, Marianne cracks up. And when he first managed to get a smile from Haymitch, he turned to Seeder and winked.

**12- 77th year, victor: Primrose Everdeen**

"See sweetheart? Everything turned out fine" 

Katniss sighed a huge sigh of relief when the cameras showed her sister boarding onto the hovercraft.

"But you know, now it means you're gonna have to teach her the ways of the Capitol" he crossed his arms.

Katniss felt a wave of panic swirls in. He's right, there's the rule she's gonna have to follow, and after? Who knows what Snow will force her to do-

"I'm not gonna let her become like me, no matter what the cost is" 

Haymitch sighed. "It's not just that.. its how she copes with the games, Cassandra's death broke her, you saw that final kill, right?"

Katniss did, and seeing Prim with that bow, Prim, who got mad at gale for teaching her about traps, who saved the boy from 4 and the girl from 1 just because she couldn't let them die. Who is soft in nature. That girl, the girl Katniss loved more than anything- shot an arrow into someone's head.

Haymitch was right. "Look, sweetheart. It's not gonna be easy but it's better than having her dead, don't you think?" 

"I think. It's up to me to help her heal, so she won't become like me, or you" 

"Look, whatever you try. I'm here for it" he gave her a half-drunken wink.

"I think you better get to the landing zone. Congrats on making history" 

**Author's Note:**

> So incase you were confused Laurie is the new quell (themed all female) victor. I'm not gonna include her in "final effort" because I might do a short story about the new quell. In final effort I'll go from 72nd (still canon zone) straight to the 76th games after the AU.


End file.
